Heyo! And another one!
Seriously, if you want these AN to be more than nonsense I need something to reply to. Much Love.
Again Thank you VonPelt for Beta-reading this one

Enjoy
Waske
xXx

Chapter 12

No More Letters

Tonks arrived back at Grimmauld Place, humming a tune to herself. She was feeling more happy about everything than she had in a long time. Her new home was looking great and Sirius was looking better and better. The Order might still not have been doing as much as she was led to believe and the Ministry… Okay the Ministry could still bring her mood down. Especially Minister Fudge and Umbridge. God, she hated that woman more than she had hated anyone in her life.

"What's wrong? Date not go alright?"

"Hey Sirius. No, the date was good. More than good actually."

"Then why do you look like you want to murder someone?"

"Umbridge," Tonks grinded her teeth. "She somehow carved a scar into Harry's hand!"

"WHAT?!"

Sirius was just about to get up when Tonks hit him with a full-body-bind curse. "Relax, you maniac. You're not the only one who is angry. I was just about to run up to the castle and murder her myself. Harry talked me out of it."

"Why would he do that?"

"He said that if something happened to the bitch the Minister would have legitimate reason to go after Hogwarts. I don't like it Sirius, but she is well protected by Fudge and Fudge is popular enough because he pretends that everything is alright and that's what the Wizengamot wants to believe. You know, when I first found out, it was like Harry didn't even think it was wrong for her to do it to him. I'm telling you - Harry might seem okay but he has a very twisted sense of self worth."

"It's my fault."

"No it's not! Stop that. Sure, could some things have been different. Of course, they could have but this is not on you. This is on the Minister and her. I swear if I ever get the chance to make her disappear when she is outside of Hogwarts they'll never know where to find her. Nobody hurts my Harry like that."

Sirius smirked knowingly. "That good huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Told you he loved you?"

"In a fashion."

"Congratulations. You didn't freak out and run out on him again?"

Tonks blushed fiercely and stuck out her tongue. "No, I was the one to say it first."

"Tell me about your date."

"Why should I?" Tonks teased.

"Because I'm living vicariously through you and my godson. Spill the beans."

"Okay, okay. Well, we had decided to meet up at the Hog's Head. Hermione managed to convince Harry to start an illegal defence club. I noticed Mundungus sitting in the bar as well. Harry was at least smart enough not to let anybody overhear what they were talking about but talk about a bad venue for a clandestine meeting. The three broomsticks would have been tons better. Nevermind. I obviously didn't hear what they were talking about but at one point Harry looked really tense."

Tonks took the proffered drink from Dobby who had joined Sirius on his own high chair next to the table. Kreacher still called Dobby a disgrace but like Sirius they both took it like a badge of honour.

"Then after the meeting Harry and I walked around Hogsmeade for a bit."

"What did you do?"

"Ehm… we checked out the shops…"

"And the alleys!" Dobby piped in.

Tonks spluttered her drink all over the table. "Were you following us?"

"Maybe miss Jackie."

"Sirius…"

"Don't look at me. Dobby's day off this week."

"Dobby?"

"Sorry miss Jackie. Dobby wanted to know if Great Harry Potter was safe."

Tonks sent stink eyes at both of the males at the table. "Right… we might have tried to snog in every alley in Hogsmeade."

"That's my Godson! Did you?"

"Mhhmm," Tonks smirked. "He's an amazing kisser. Sends heat straight to my -"

"And that's enough of that. What happened next?"

"Well we were switching between pressing the other up against this large tree near the Shrieking Shack, when get this, Hermione and Ron had followed us up there. I mean, as much as I like Hermione, I'm starting to see why Harry feels so constrained at all times. He had even told them he was meeting someone else and she still came to snoop. So, Jacque is now officially introduced to Hermione and Ron. Damn near tore through me with that interrogation."

"She can be intense."

"Dobby hopes her day be as pleasant as she is."

Sirius and Tonks both snorted involuntarily. They exchanged a bemused glance before focusing back on Tonks's retelling of her date.

"What happened then?"

"Well, Harry got pissed off at both of them and stormed off. I kind of get him in a way. It really almost seemed like they weren't allowing him to have any friends besides them. It was a little disturbing, but then again I am a complete stranger with a cover story so thin it has more holes than a Swiss cheese. I then find him in one of the alleyways right as he punches the wall hard enough to break it. I healed it easily enough but that was when I saw the scars. Sirius, she forced him to carve into the back of his hand I must not tell lies. I mean what kind of psycho bitch would do that to a student."

Sirius growled loudly and Tonks was almost certain that he was going to unconsciously change into his Grim form. Instead he surprised her when an almost manic smile spread on his face.

"Dobby!"

"Yes, Master Dogger?"

"This means war! We might not be able to remove her from the picture but we can make her life a living hell. Dobby can you get in contact and convince the elves at Hogwarts to not clean her quarter or wash her clothes?"

"Dobby might be able to. House elves talk. The Toad is not popular with the Elvses."

"Good, good, it's a start. Can we sneak some itching powder into her bed?"

"Dobby cans do it!"

"Alright you two psychopaths. Enough of that. Are you sure this is not just going to send her on a warpath and harm Harry?"

"But!"

"Yes miss Jackie, Dobby is wanting to protect Great Harry Potter, miss."

"You two lunatics, at least gather intelligence first. Don't you have two agents of chaos already there in the Castle?"

"Messers Gred and Forge?" Dobby asked. "They be menaces indeed. Dobby still has not been able to fully clean their room."

"Hmm, she's got a point, my pointy eared friend. We do have two followers to do the initial estimations… We'll find a way to send them a letter."

"Dobby can takes it to the Owl Post?"

"We'll do that tomorrow. Now back to the story. So, you fixed up Harry's hand and then?"

"You know the restaurant called The Singing Merman? Harry had booked a private room for us to have dinner in."

"Damn… He really went all out," Sirius whistled.

"What do you mean?"

"That place ain't cheap and it's even harder to get a private room. They only give those to VIP's. He must have flashed his scar or something to make that happen."

"But Harry hates his fame?" Tonks sounded confused.

"Exactly. He did something he would hate to give you - Jacque - a good night out. I'm proud of him. That's a killer move. Did it work?"

"If you mean by did it make me want to jump his bones… then yes. I swear to you Sirius. He's a natural. He somehow manages to say the right things without even trying, just by being himself."

"I think I know how this goes. Things got heated but you still kept to your moral senses and then Harry went back to Hogwarts after dinner."

"Pretty much, yeah…" Tonks flashed a small smile.

"There's something you aren't telling me here."

"Harry told me something nice, though he didn't mean for it to be nice."

"What?"

"He confessed that he is attracted to this form. He was really cute about it too. Almost afraid I was going to be mad at him."

"So, Harry is attracted to both of you?"

"Yeah." The happiness flooding her voice.

"That's good. Great in fact. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you Sirius. Now I really need some alone time. Harry left me -"

"And that's far more than I needed to know. Thank you very much, remember to silence your room! Goodnight Tonks!"

"Goodnight Sirius, Dobby. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sirius waited until she had left the room before turning to Dobby with the same ferocious smile on his face.

"Dobby, my dear friend, I think we've got some planning to do."

"Yes, Master Dogger!"

Tonks arrived the next morning feeling refreshed and happy. Nothing really could ruin her good mood. She opened up the door to the kitchen expecting Dobby to have cooked breakfast. Even on his days off he still liked to cook it was more of a case of him deciding to cook rather than being obligated to cook. It usually ended up with Tonks having to buy take-out once a week for all three of them but considering that Dobby cooked the rest of the week it only seemed fair.

It had been fun introducing Dobby to Indian food. The little guy had been red in his eyes and had only calmed down after emptying the rest of the milk in the fridge. Pizza had been a success all around.

The new food experiences had even begun spilling into the regular cooking. Sometimes Dobby would get a little experimental but most of the time it ended up being at least edible. Yes, Dobby was about as a stable of the Grimmauld Place kitchen as Mrs. Weasley had been over the summer which was why the lack of breakfast in any form was a surprise to her.

She poked her head around the corner and found both of them sleeping face down on the kitchen table in between parchment and ink. Tonks quietly lifted up one of the parchments and read the title. Toad Hunt plan number forty-seven. Charm bludger to hit Umbridge repeatedly during Quidditch Matches. Another parchment. Plan number thirty-two. Change all of her clothes into an acid green that stains her skin when she wears it. Another one. Potion her morning tea so she acts like a toad or changes her into an actual toad.

Tonks shook her head ruefully before breathing in deeply. "Ahem ahem."

The two sleeping individuals raised their head in shock. Tonks fought a giggle from slipping past her lips at the sight of Sirius with a parchment stuck to his cheek and the inksplotches that took up most of Dobby's face.

"Now, could someone tell me what is going on here?" Tonks asked with the sternest expression she could manage.

Sirius panickedly began gathering up the large amount of parchment with Dobby soon following. They both looked like children having gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"My dear niece, it's not what it looks like."

Tonks leaned forward and snatched the parchment that had been stuck to Sirius's face.

"Toad extermination plan number twenty-one. Making all her quills dry out whenever she tries to write with them. Sirius Black. Do not try and lie to me. I thought I told you not to do anything stupid last night."

"We be not doing anything stupid, miss Jackie," Dobby defended. "It be very much necessary work."

Tonks lifted a single eyebrow extending her locks to make a very impressive imitation of her mother. "It's not?"

"No, no. This was all just a…"

"A thinking experiment."

"Yes, a thought experiment. Just a bit of harmless fun, right Dobby?"

"Yes, yes, Master Dogger."

"I see and you will not be sending these with specific instructions on how to do them to the Twins?"

"Wouldn't think of doing that," Sirius said quickly.

Tonks narrowed her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't want to take revenge on the Toad herself. In fact some of these ideas would have been right up her wheel-house if she had still been at Hogwarts. The fact was that they had no control over how wrong this could go if they unleashed the Twins on Umbridge and in doing so what would happen to Harry.

"Just think of what she would do in retaliation. This could come back to hurt Harry in a big way, even if she cannot prove anything. He is already on thin ice with the stuff he is doing under the Ministry's noses. I think it would be better to help him doing that in an unnoticed way. He has twenty-eight students trying to practice defensive magic without being noticed. You should help him think of places to do that instead."

"Dobby knows of a place."

"Where?" Sirius asked eagerly. "I know about the passageway behind the mirror on the fourth floor. It has a big cavernous room behind it."

"Cavein during my time," Tonks shook her head. "Something about a duel gone wrong or something. I don't know the details just that a few students were in the hospital wing for a week."

"Dobby?"

"The elves calls it the come and go room. Dobby worked at Hogwarts last year."

"Never heard of it. You?"

Tonks shook her head. "Where did you say this room was?"

"Seventh floor. Across from tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy."

"Huh, don't think I remember a room being there."

"I think there might have been a broom closet there when I was back at Hogwarts," Sirius pondered loudly. "You sure this room would work?"

"The room cans be anything. It changes into what you need."

"So, if Sirius needed a broom closet for whatever reason?"

"Then it be a broom closet."

"And if Harry needed it to be a room where he could teach thirty odd students?"

"Dobby thinks it would do that too."

"Great. Now we just need to find a way to tell him."

"Dobby cans do that."

"Alright, tell him when nobody is around. I don't want Dumbledore or anyone else to know that you or we were involved," Tonks said seriously.

Dobby nodded seriously.

"Alright you two. Go clean yourself up. I'll cook breakfast."

Sirius replied with a small groan while Dobby looked about as ecstatic as an elf could look. Tonks rolled up her sleeve and went to get the ingredients she would need out of the fridge before she began to fry bacon and stir eggs. She even had a pot of canned beans going on the stove. She had gotten better in the kitchen since she moved out. She would be lying if she said it wasn't so she could cook something nice for Harry at some point. She had gotten an O in her Potion N.E.W.T., cooking wasn't that different in the whole scheme of things.

She might have played up her clumsiness a bit more than it actually was. She wanted people to underestimate her. If she could fool her Mum and Moody then she could fool anybody. It was easy telling people that the constant shift in her centre of gravity made her clumsy but it was far from the truth. She knew instinctively what her form was at any given point. She would have gotten caught tailing people if she stumbled at an inopportune moment.

She idly wondered if Harry would enjoy having her cook for him. Maybe she could cook for him only wearing an apron. That might be a fun morning.

"Wow. No smell of burning."

"Shut, it you mutt. I can cook just fine. I just don't care for it as much as my mother would like for me to care about it. Mum gets intense about anything ladylike."

"Yeah, Andy was always the homeliest of my cousins. She was the one who wanted a family more than the rest of us."

"She's happy to cook for dad. Still, I don't need her to know about this. A girl has got to have her secrets."

"My lips are sealed."

"They better be."

Tonks waved her wand and served the food on three different plates leaving a small amount of breakfast for Kreacher to take when he wanted it or more likely if he wanted it. She still wasn't sure that the old elf actually ate food and not something worse anymore. He probably did.

"Are you going to send your list to the Twins?"

"Are you going to stop me if we are?"

"No," Tonks shook her head. "Honestly it's not a bad idea. They already have a reputation for it and they'll know how to get away with it even if the whole school knows about it. I still thi-"

She was interrupted by the morning owl bringing the Daily Prophet. She idly gave it a few coins before snatching it up and looking over the front page.

"Shit!"

"What's wrong?"

"I told you that I thought it would be bad to have that meeting in the Hog's Head, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

Tonks flipped the paper around and tapped her finger on the front page article.

Hogwarts High Inquisitor Cleans Up Unnecessary Clubs at Hogwarts.
By Barnabas Cuffe

After a series of Ministerial Educational Decrees another one was signed just yesterday evening by Minister Fudge giving Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher and High Inquisitor, Undersecretary Umbridge the right to decide which clubs, teams or groups are allowed at Hogwarts.

"It's our firm belief that Hogwarts is first and foremost an educational institution," Percival Weatherby, Junior Undersecretary to the Minister says. "Too long distracting groups have taken time away from what is really important at Hogwarts namely the children's continued furthering of their education. Given the declining standards of the recent years and the low number of graduates qualified to apply for higher Ministry positions, something must be done. We hope that this will only be a temporary measure until the crisis is overcome as the Ministry acknowledges that the students need to unwind. That is why all clubs and student organisations can be approved after an individual review. Undersecretary Umbridge has already done a fine job at realigning some of the malcontent subjects like Defence Against the Dark Arts to Ministerial and Educational Standards."

(More on the different teachers in that position on page 3).
(More on the recently established Educational Decrees and their effects page 4).

"Shit indeed."

"Someone else from the Ministry must have been in that bar. Someone who was more than willing to earn a quick favour by ratting on them. You think this is going to stop them?" Tonks asked nervously.

"Not likely," Sirius sighed. "If Harry is anything like his father this would only spur him on. I just hope this doesn't blow up in anyone's face."

"This is bad."

Tonks sat back with an unreadable expression as this week's Order Meeting unfolded. It had been more than a week since she had been on the date with Harry and there had been no new letters for Jacque. The first thing Moody had taught her was that a break in a person's pattern meant that something was up. The only problem was how she was going to bring it up without drawing suspicion to herself. She returned her focus to the meeting. Nothing new got brought forward. They guarded the same door and they talked about the same nonsensical leads that even an untrained person would know wouldn't lead to anything.

"What about Umbridge?"

Everyone's head snapped to the voice interrupting the lul in the conversation. Sirius looked… stormy for a lack of better word.

"And why would that matter to you… Black?" Snape drawled.

"My Godson is in that school. I still get the newspapers, Snivellus."

"You dare!"

"Enough!" Dumbledore shouted. "And to answer your question, Sirius. Everything is well within my control. The Minister is just postulating. I think both Minerva and Severus can agree that none of the already existing clubs have been disbanded."

Snape nodded easily enough while McGonagall's nod had a bit of an edge to it. Tonks did not like that look on her face.

"This is because of that meeting Potter had with his friend's at the Hog's Head, isn't it?" Mundungus piped up.

Tonks fought hard to keep the glee from her face. She had seen how easy the other members had just taken Dumbledore at his word.

"What exactly is going on at the school, Headmaster?" Mrs. Weasley asked hesitantly. "Arthur has told-"

"Molly, everything is under control."

"Albus that is just not true," McGonagall interrupted. "That woman is a menace. She is parading herself around the place with no regard for actually teaching. She is terrorizing certain individuals. I had to gather the rest of the Heads of Houses Severus included to reinstate more than the Slytherin Quidditch Team! What would she even do with a Quidditch Cup with only one team participating. Things are not under control."

Sirius and Tonks exchanged looks. It sounded much more dire than they had thought. Maybe, that envelope of refined ideas needed to make its way to the twins.

"Minerva…" God, Tonks hated that disappointed grandfather act even more now. "It is necessary for the Ministry to think they have a handle on the situation at Hogwarts. So, that they don't turn their attention towards other far more important endeavours. I assure everyone that the situation at Hogwarts is firmly under control, even if Madam Umbridge might think otherwise."

She was not impressed by his act.

"And I must admit, Sirius. You must have worked hard to make the house become as homely as it has. It is good to see you spending your time here productively."

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. Tonks watched as Snape was about to open his mouth. He didn't get to make a sound before her wand was pointed directly at his throat. "Not a word."

The sneer on the man's face told her enough about what he thought about her. She didn't care honestly.

"If there isn't anything else worthy of discussion," Sirius said. "Then you are all more than welcome to make your way out of my house before I kick you out."

"There is no need for that, Sirius," Dumbledore sighed.

"There is no need for you to let a rabid dog near children either, Dumbledore," Sirius said icily. "Get out or I'll make the wards do it for me."

Dumbledore looked like he was about to argue, but most of the people had already gotten out of their chair. Snape being the first among them. Moody hung back his real eye firmly fixed on Tonks.

Mr. Weasley put his hand on Mrs. Weasley before she got going. He nodded to Sirius before flooing away to the Burrow.

Dumbledore was the second last to leave. Sirius and Tonks both watched as the man floo'ed back to Hogwarts.

"And what was that about, Lass?"

"What?"

"Don't play games with me. You two know more than you are supposed to know about what is going on. Spill it. Enough secrets around here."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tonks has been in contact with Harry. They became good friends over the summer."

"Something is seriously wrong, Mad-Eye. He used to write twice a week. I haven't heard from him since Halloween. If there is a break of the pattern it's a sign something is-"

"Wrong or has changed, aye. What do you know about this little meeting of Potter's?"

"It's a defence class of some kind. The Umbitch is refusing to teach them anything, so he and his friends stepped up."

"Aye, never liked the cunt. She always walked around like she owned the place. He good enough?"

"He did well in the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Sirius said. "I don't know what to say. He survived more times against the Dark Wanker than anybody."

"He's read Most Common Curses and Their Counter Curses," Tonks added. "He asked me to recommend something."

"Give him a copy of the one I got you," Moody thoughtfully. "He'll find it to be an interesting read I'm sure."

"You can't be serious."

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

"It's a book I translated from back home."

"It's not just a book. That's a manual on killing."

"Albus seems sure that the kid is going to be in the thick of it. He'll kill before this war is over or he won't survive it."

"He's just fifteen," Tonks said.

"He's already seen death," Sirius said hollowly. "He already killed a man, think back to what he told us about that Quirrell - I'm not saying we turn him into a killer but he'll need to know stuff like that."

"Make it my Christmas present for the lad. Something like a thank you for helping me out. Until next time and then you two will tell me what else has happened in that castle while Potter 's been there. Black, lass."

They both watched as the man hobbled away on his wooden peg through to the front door. "What did ya do to the painting?"

"Moved it. It's in the tapestry room now."

"How did ya manage to get the elf to move it?"

"Threatened to burn that part of the wall," Sirius said.

Sirius and Tonks both shivered hearing what would probably count as a laugh from the scarred man.

"Oh and one more thing, lass. Wait until the lad has turned sixteen will ya? Don't want to lose one of the best recruits. I've ever trained."

Tonks stared with wide-eyed shock as the man walked through the front door. She turned to Sirius who looked just about ready to laugh his ass off.

"Not a word from you," Tonks growled. "How did he know?"

"Nothing usually gets past Mad-Eye. You shouldn't be surprised by that."

"Ugh!"

"Dobby!"

A crack resounded throughout the kitchen.

"You called, Master Dogger?"

"Get the envelope to the Twins and tell Harry about the room without being spotted by the old man. Nobody needs him getting involved."

"We're really having them do this aren't we?"

"Dumbledore isn't willing to do what needs to be done. I'm done playing nice. I might not be able to do anything from here but I know how to get things done outside of here. Could you get your Dad to visit?"

"Why?"

"Maybe there is a way for us to emancipate or at least get the trace removed from Harry before his seventeenth birthday. I don't know, some old pureblood rule or something. That's why I want to talk to him. I want to know what my options are. Harry needs to be able to make decisions for himself. I do not like the path Dumbledore seems set on having Harry walk and I'm certain you don't either."

"Dobby will gets the letter to the menaces."

"I'll go invite Mum and Dad for dinner then. Tomorrow works?"

"It's not like I'm doing much these days," Sirius said wryly.

"Sorry. It'll be alright. Harry will be alright."

"I hope so, Tonks. I really hope so."

The dinner with Andromeda and Ted had gone on without a hitch and life had returned to normal in the following weeks. The only difference was that her Dad spent a lot of evenings talking to Sirius about something, she assumed it had to do something about helping Harry. She still hadn't heard from Harry and got even more worried about his safety. She almost debated sneaking into Hogwarts to see him in a disguise but Sirius had talked her out of it. It wasn't worth it if she was caught and it could land both her and Harry into big troubles if she was.

She was nursing her morning coffee when Dobby popped into the kitchen.

"Dobby gots a letter from Great Harry Potter for miss Jackie."

Tonks ripped the envelope out of Dobby's small hands and opened it with shaky fingers.

Hey Tonks

Long time no hear. Sorry for the lack of letters. We think that Umbridge is intercepting the owls. I tried to send Jacque one but Hedwig never made it out of the castle grounds. Thankfully the Twins have taught me a way to mask letters unless they are for the intended target. Not that the letter was incriminating.

So, could you maybe get it to him? I know he works at the Ministry in the DMLE. It's in there too. Honestly I had forgotten about Dobby. I know, stupid really when he was the one to show me the room of requirement. I'm telling you the room is amazing. It can literally become anything you want it to be. I've actually learned how to swim now. One of the books about physical fitness said that swimming was good training for your muscles. They certainly hurt a lot after I had swam the first couple of weeks. Though the results have been quite great.

The club is going well as well. You wouldn't believe how bad some of them were when we began. I mean some of the seventh years couldn't even cast a proper disarming charm. I have them casting stunners and incarcerous now though. Shield charms too. If they keep progressing like this we might even get to work on the Patronus Charm. I've been trying to recreate what happened during the summer and research it but every text the room provides just warn you about putting anger into it, something about how the charm will turn on you. I know it can be done though.

I'm really looking forward to spending Christmas away from the castle. It'll be good to see the dog again. Keep Pink.

Yours
Harry

She reached into the envelope and found another one that might have been smaller but it made up for it in thickness. She opened that one too and spread the parchment out in front of her. Her heart beating heavily in her chest.

Hey Wonderboy

If you're reading this then you have finally met Tonks or maybe she just left it in your inbox. Do you have one of those? I honestly don't know much about the Ministry if I'm honest. We had the career guidance thing. The Toad was there too. I told Professor McGonagall, my head of house, that I might want to be an Auror. Not sure about that really. Tonks has told me it's a lot of paperwork and that they aren't really getting much done. What do you think? Well Umbridge wasn't happy about it. She directly told me that I wouldn't get to work at the Ministry while she still did.

Here's to hoping that she doesn't by the time I'm done at Hogwarts. Right. That was the easy part of that letter. Sorry, I haven't sent one in a while. I tried. I really did but Umbridge is intercepting the mail. I think she is afraid of what would happen if the parents actually knew what was going on here.

I hope you didn't think something was wrong between us. I love you, Jacque Noir. Never forget that. I don't think I'll be able to send another letter until Christmas. Umbridge has taken over in a bad way. I think we won't even be allowed to leave for Hogsmeade weekends. I'm sorry about that. I'll try to meet you between Christmas and New Year. I'll be in London.

I miss you.

The letter kept going on about trivial things like a detailed description of the way he had taught the defence club. How proud he was of the students for perfecting their spells or how he kept having to read up on stuff so he was able to teach it properly to them. She read through the letter with a smile on her face. When she read the way he had signed off she placed her lips to the parchment.

"He finally figured out that he could send a letter through Dobby and you?"

Tonks looked up to find an amused Sirius standing in the door.

"Yeah. He is seriously impressive. Some of the stuff he is teaching is way beyond school level. He says he wants to teach them the Patronus charm. Even I am having a hard time with it."

"Maybe you could get some alone time with him during Christmas break to have him teach you one on one, help you with the happy memory."

"Maybe", Tonks said and could not stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks and hair "I still don't like what he is saying about Umbridge. She is intercepting the owls, she at least intercepted Hedwig."

"That bitch. Is there anything about the Twins?"

"No. Either they aren't doing anything or Harry isn't privy to them doing anything."

"Or he isn't telling us about it. I was thinking about flooing him in the Gryffindor Common room, like I did last year."

"Don't. She'll have all the fireplaces monitored in the Ministry. We'll just have to wait until Christmas for more concrete news."

December rolled around and with it Diagon Alley Patrols. Tonks found herself spending more time going around looking for anything she could gift Harry as both herself and Jacque. She walked past the same store, she had been in with Harry earlier in the summer. The memories of that day made her blush especially when she realized what Harry would likely gift her. She had suggested it herself.

She idly ran her finger over her throat. He would be marking her as his at least that was the way she was going to think about it. Even if Harry didn't mean it that way. She would think of it that way. That's what she would be telling whoever asked about it. Well as long as Harry wasn't within earshot.

She had just finished off another boring day at work. She was half amused, half annoyed at how enthusiastic Sirius and Dobby had gotten about Christmas. The Lounge had a big Christmas tree and Dobby had hung what was truly an affront to fashion in the form of socks with names on them on the fireplace. There was one for each of them, even Kreacher. Purple and yellow did not go well together especially not in those shades.

"Happy Christmas!" Sirius shouted at her as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

"Seriously, Sirius. He isn't arriving until a few more days. Now I've just gotten off a late shift and you two maniacs have entirely too much energy for me right now."

"Fine, be a spoilsport. I guess the food Dobby has been keeping warm for you isn't going to be needed then."

"Now hold on a sec-"

She got cut off short as the room lit up in silvery light, a phoenix Patronus appearing in the room.

"Sirius, Arthur has been attacked. He is being taken to St. Mungo's now. I'm sending through the Weasley kids and Harry. Nymphadora, if you're there then I need someone to go guard Arthur's room," it spoke with Dumbledore's voice.

The Phoenix dissolved into silvery mist, leaving the two of them standing alone in the kitchen.

"Dobby! Make up the rooms. Seems like we are getting some early Christmas guests. They'll likely be in shock and want to see Arthur. We can't let them do that. Find a couple of bottles of Firewhisky."

"Your plan is for them to get drunk?"

"Yup. They'll be all worked up when they get here wanting to get to St. Mungo's. Not a good idea when we don't know what happened. I'll need you to bring back the information they are going to want in the morning. You need to go to St. Mungo's. I'll have Dobby bring you some food as soon as the kids are settled okay?"

"Okay."